Truss.



No. 795,130. PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905. J. J. HORN.

TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1904.

NITED STATES Patented July jig, 1905.

PATENT Denice.

JOHN J. HORN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM H. HORN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Tnuss.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 795,130, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed July 6, 1904. Serial No. 215,478.

To all 'LUI'LOWI/ it 'ITI/CLy concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Trusses, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a truss with an improved connecting device between the pad and the body-spring or other supporting structure upon which said pad is mounted, it being further desired that said device shall be of such a nature as to permit the pad to automatically adjust itself upon its mounting, so as to properly accomplish its function irrespective of the form or position of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connection between a truss-pad and its support which, while permitting said pad to adjust itself to the surface with which it engages, shall prevent revolution of the pad on said support as an axis.

- A further object is to provide a truss with an oval or elongated pad and means for mounting said pad upon a supporting structure, whereby it is kept from revolving and yet is free to automatically adjust itself relatively to the surface with which its face is engaged.

These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of truss-pad with which my invention will be employed. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a truss-pad, showing the construction of the recess for the reception of the ball-joint upon which said pad is supported. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the truss-pad, partly in section, showing the detail construction of the parts comprising the joint between it and the bod yspring of the truss. Fig. A is a rear elevation of the truss-pad with a portion of the bodyspring, showing the means for adjustably connecting the said two parts. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the truss-pad and the parts comprising the joint connecting said pad with the body-spring; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modification of'my invention.

In the above drawings, A is a body-spring having fixed to it a pressure-plate B and a pad C, said spring being provided at one end with a strap a, adapted to engage with a headed screw or pin d on the opposite end of said spring. J

The padU is, so far as its form goes, of the well-known construction, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is desirable to so support it upon the bodyspring that it is free to have what is practically a universal motion and yet be held so that it cannot rotate upon its support as an axis. In order to accomplish this end, I provide a ball and-socket joint between the spring and the pad and so connect the pad to the ball that it cannot turn on an axis at right angles to its own long axis.

For thereception of the parts of the balland-socket joint I provide asubstantially hemispherical recess 0 in the lower portion of the rear face of the truss-pad, in addition providing one or more slots 0', radiating from the center of said recess. A ball D is held within the recess a by means of a plate E, countersunk in the rear face of the truss-pad and held in position by screws 6. shank or spindle d, which passes through a suitable opening in the plate E and is provided at its end with a square portion (Z which fits in a similarlysha )ed opening in a plate F. In addition the ball is provided with a pin (K, which in the present instance projects in a line at right angles to the line of the shank d and is adapted to enter either of the recesses c, as may be desired. The screw d, which passes through the body-spring A and through a plate G, enters a threaded recess in the shank 0!, thereby holding together the four parts D, E, F, and G. The plate G is provided in order to retain the truss-pad in a fixed position relative to the body-spring A with a number of radiating slots, (indicated in dotted lines at g,) with any of which projections f from the plate F may be made to The said ball has a engage, it being further noted that the plate G is kept fixed relatively to the body-spring by means of a pair of projecting lugs g, which extend, respectively, on either side of said spring.

The screw (Z is provided with an integral collar (Z so that there is a portion of its body between said collar and its head for the reception of the strap u, even when the various parts of the device are tightly clamped together.- It will be seen that by loosening said screw and turning the pad C, and with it the ball D and the plate F, the long axis of the pad may be made to bear any desired angle to the line of the end of the body-spring, or, if desired, the pin (Z may be placedin either one of the slots 0.

1n the above-described arrangement of parts it will be seen that the pad C is carried upon the ball I) in such manner as to be free to adjust itself with what is substantially a universal motion in respect to the surface with which it engages, and yet it is prevented from turning onsaid ball by means of the pin (Z in such manner as to prevent its long axis from lying horizontally instead of vertically or to prevent its turning upside down.

1.1 desired, the ball D may be provided with a plurality of pins d, the number of slots 0 being increased accordingly, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 6.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a supporting structure and a truss-pad, with means connecting said two parts, said means including a joint provided with a device for preventing revolution of the pad while permitting it to turn upon said joint to a limited extent in a plurality of planes, substantially as described.

2. .ln atruss-pad, the combination of a supporting structure, a pad, and a device connectingsaid parts, said device including a balland-socket joint, means for preventing revolution of the pad while leaving it free to turn in its socket to a limited extent, a plate connected to the ball, and means for connecting said plate and the supportii'ig structure, substantially as described.

The combination of a pad, a supporting structure for the same, a ball attached to one of said parts, there being a socket for said ball on the other part, with one or more projections on the ball engaging a slotted portion or portions of the socket for preventing the revolution of the pad, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a pad having a recess formed in its rear face in other than an axial line and one or more grooves extending from the recess, a ball having means for retaining it in said recess and provided with one or more pins so placed to enter said groove or grooves, a supporting structure and means for attaching the ball thereto, substantially as described.

5. In atruss, the combination of asupporting structure, an elongated pad, and means forming a stem connecting said pad to the supporting structure, said means including a joint provided with a device for preventing revolution of the pad on a line substantially at right angles both to its long axis and to the line of its connecting-stem, substantially as described.

6. In a truss, the combination of a supporting structure, a pad and means for connecting said pad to the supporting structure, said means includinga ball-and-socket joint, a device for preventing the revolution of the pad around the supporting-shank of said ball-andsocket joint as an axis while leaving it free to turn to a limited extent, and a device for adjusting the pad relatively to the supporting structure, substantially as described.

7. In a truss, the combination of a su pporting structure, an elongated pad, a shank carrying a ball, a projection on the ball, and means for adjusting the angle between the supporting structure and the line of said projection, there being a recess in the pad for the reception of the ball, a groove for the reception of the projection, with means for retaining the ball in position, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the supportingstructure of a truss, with two plates, of which one is provided with means for holding it fixed relatively to said structure, recesses on one of said parts and projections on the other, a ball provided with means whereby it may be attached to the second plate and a pad having a recess for the reception of the ball, with means for retaining the ball in therecess, and means for preventing the revolution of the pad on the ball, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. HORN.

Witnesses: V

(has. E. HORN, SIMS (3. S'IIGER. 

